The fundamentals are simple: type in a word or phrase, hit 'Translate' and seconds later, an accurate translation is produced. The application is tiny at 179kb, because it doesn't actually include any dictionaries, despite having dozens of languages to choose from.

Instead, it connects to the translation engines provided by Google, Bing, FreeTranslation, Majstro and Systran, and uses your BlackBerry's data connection to convert your words into a foreign language.

This is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the number of available languages and words to look up is absolutely enormous, and having a number of translation engines available means you can cross-check your translations before inflicting them on the locals.

On the other hand, FancyTran's dependence on a data connection could spell expensive disaster if you need to use it abroad - expect some chunky phone bills unless you have a contract that allows you to use a data connection while roaming. You can always connect via your phone's WiFi connection, but the inability to download words for checking later is a drawback.

Still, if you're learning a language - particularly if you regularly practice somewhere you don't want to lug your dictionary to - FancyTran is an incredibly powerful application to have to hand.